Gay Marriage In Maryland Legalized

Governor Martin O'Malley, on Thursday, officially made Maryland the eighth state to legalize same sex marriage when he signed a bill passed by the General Assembly. O'Malley signed the bill, which he sponsored, though same-sex ceremonies cannot be performed until January 2013. Supporters assume they will have another hurdle to jump as the law is expected to be petitioned to referendum in November. Opponents are prepared to collect the almost 56,000 signatures needed to put the measure on the ballot and are expected to rely heavily on churchgoers who oppose same-sex marriage as a matter of faith, to reach that goal. Organizers say they hope to collect nearly double the required number of signatures to ensure enough are validated by the state elections board. Although it has been a divisive issue that has led to two years of heated and emotional debate, the governor believes there is common ground…